Session 9 - The Victor Conspiracy
Half-orc fighter Phryne and half-air spirit monk Aubrey faced off to see who would take second place in the archery competition at the Festival of Excelsion. Phryne took second place by a smidgen. After the day's games, The Giantess, an 8 foot tall woman from the Eastern mountains and a fellow competitor invited Aubrey and Phryne to drinks at the Golden Medal, a popular tavern for athletes and their admirers. Meanwhile, Wood elf rogue Mindratis met up with the Silver Daggers, an all elf mercenary company, at the Dirty Trout, a shady establishment in Victor's docks. The Silver Daggers job necessitated them finding their target (a humungous woman) at the Golden Medal and incapacitating her, making it look like she was severely injured in a run-of-the-mill bar brawl. Tiefling sorcerer Vanderjesus, in the meantime, was attempting to drum up a following in the Plaza of the Strong, the main entryway into Victor. She started by gathering some people who recognized her and her deeds from the Highroad. She used her thaumaturgy to perform some illusion tricks, and proclaimed herself a being above mortal concern. She began to explain that there was a growing darkness, and that she would fight against it, and that people who dedicate themselves to her could help her fight against the growing darkness. In the process she gather five people, three humans and two elves, who took to calling themselves her disciples, and began to proselytize for her. At the Golden Medal, Phryne, Aubrey and The Giantess were enjoying each other's company, with the giant woman describing her many feats and conquests, when a small group of elves walked in together. Aubrey recognized Mindratis among them, although at first they seemed to merely patron the crowded establishment. Soon, the leader of the Silver Daggers leapt up on a table and accused The Giantess at cheating him in cards in the docks the night before. Phryne heckled him, but The Giantess, inflamed, flipped her table, and fighting ensued. Aubrey and Phryne charged into battle with the aid of The Giantess, picking off a few of the mercenaries. Mindratis, unsure of where his loyalties lay, loosened an arrow and struck The Giantess above the heart, taking her out. At that, the remaining mercenaries fled. Aubrey managed to stabilize their friend, and they took her to their human cleric, Edlee, who had been working at the brothel throughout the festival, for healing. When the Silver Daggers realized that the job had only been half done, they paid Mindratis only a fraction of what they'd promised. He demanded details about the job, and the leader of the Silver Daggers explained that they'd been hired by a human noble who had asked for only elves on the job. The next day's event brought the Champions back to the Coliseum. Phryne noticed that Arlyn, an elven Champion and their competitor, seemed surprised to see them. They competed in a foot race, a lap of the massive Coliseum. Phryne took first place, with Aubrey and Arlyn taking second and third place. Phryne cornered Arlyn in the change rooms afterwards, with Aubrey and The Giantess backing her. They scared off his retinue, and frightened the elven Champion enough to make him wet his underclothes. Accusing him of cheating, Phryne sensed an opportunity, and muscled him out of the temple and into the Plaza. Arlyn attempted to keep his composure as Phryne forced him to announce to the city that he had pissed himself, although the proud elven Champion ended up in tears, claiming he'd get back at her. Vanderjesus sent her self-proclaimed disciples forth to gather information about mining tealstone. They spent the evening investigating, and managed to find the former owner of an iron mine south of Victor, in the Hadriaca Highlands. The mine was dry of precious metals, but he'd sold the mines to a goblin for a hefty sack of gold, a real deal. Mindratis, somewhat conflicted about his part in the attack on The Giantess, decided to look into the identity of the human noble who hired the Silver Daggers. He was directed to Molli Mae's, a downtrodden brothel built in an old storehouse in the docks. Molli Mae, the Coastlander owner, remembered the Silver Daggers meeting the man, although she didn't recognize him. She explained Veit Rummenheim, a dwarven warrior and former mercenary, seemed mighty interested in the meeting, which was unusual for the perpetually drunken dwarf. Mindratis bribed Molli Mae to dress him as a prostitute and present him to Veit so he could gather information from the dwarf. The brothel keeper explained that the dwarven warrior was traveling south of Victor for a couple of days, but that she'd do so when he returned. At the games the next morning, a wrestling tournament, Aubrey, with quickness, rose to the top, with Phryne and The Giantess following up. After the games, the Champions met a handsome young nobleman who introduced himself as Veyas, the steward of Lord Cecilia, the human rule of the region. He invited Aubrey, Phryne and their traveling companions to dine with Lord Cecilia. They were led through the underground tunnels, to the Royal Palace. "Ah! The champions and their companions, or should I call you the liberators of Bridgton, or the enemies of the New Church?" Lord Cecilia greeted the heroes to a small feast in their honour. "So many titles. Word of your deeds have followed you into town." She chatted amicably as dinner was served, asking the heroes about themselves, where they came from, where they’re going. After dinner Lord Cecilia leaned back and said she had some business with the companions. "I’ll put it plainly," she waved a hand and Veyas and a robed figure walked into the room, each with a chest. They set the chests down on the table by Lady Cecilia and opened them. Neatly arranged stacks of gold shone from within. "I’ll give each champion 5000 gold if you leave town immediately and never return to Victor." Phryne says Lord Cecilia could bet on her, but the Lord of Victor explained that wouldn't work. She'd made her bet before the heroes showed up in town at the last minute, otherwise she may have made a different decision. "I have a reputation to keep. After all, my house words are ‘We choose the winner.'" Aubrey quickly, Phryne begrudgingly, turned down the gold. Lord Cecilia's friendly demeanour quickly cooled, and she dismissed them, leaving. While his friends were dining with the Lord of Victor, Mindratis, still attempting to collect concilitory information for his friends, was dining with a prostitute from Molli Mae's. She explained over fresh bread rolls that Veit was a regular, mostly drunk, a former mercenary, but that he was crowned Champion of Excelsion. The next morning, the penultimate competition, found the Champions in a chariot race through and around the Coliseum. Phryne, Aubrey and Arlyn quickly pulled ahead, but as the Champions raced out into the streets of Victor, the elven Champion slammed his chariot into Phryne's, though she managed to steady herself and control her steeds. As they were nearing the end of the course, Aubrey noticed two figures on a large stack of crates, attempting to push them over to block the way, he assumed to help Arlyn cheat. Using his elemental powers, Aubrey summoned up a swarm of insect shaped pebbles, which attacked the figures, who ran screaming from the onslaught. Having saved his companion from the trouble, Phryne managed to frustrate him by pulling ahead and they pulled into the Plaza of the Strong one after the other, followed by a swearing and beleaguered Arlyn in third. ACTIVE QUESTS -Aubrey and Phryne are to compete in the Championship of Excelsion to qualify as Champion -Mindratis will present himself as a prostitute to Veit Rummenheim to gather information on the mysteries surrounding Victor -Investigate the encroaching dark forces from the East for the forest spirit (party thinks that the magical and destructive properties of tealstone, these goblin factories and Gazek from Gobelton have something to do with it) -Escort Edlee to Elysium